Association Between Diabetes Knowledge and Self‐Management Among Portuguese Americans With Type 2 Diabetes

ABSTRACT Objectives This study examined the relationship between diabetes knowledge and self‐management among Portuguese Americans with type 2 diabetes. Method This study included 500 Portuguese Americans with type 2 diabetes using a cross‐sectional design with convenience and snowball sampling. Data were collected via an electronic survey comprising sociodemographic information, the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test (DMKT), and the Diabetes Self‐Management Questionnaire (DSMQ). Results The participants’ mean age was 33.5. They were predominantly male (55.6%). The average disease duration was 3.98 years. Despite nearly half of the participants holding bachelor's degrees (48.2%), the mean diabetes knowledge score was moderate at 4.92 (SD ± 1.20) on a 0–10 scale, with self‐management averaging 5.86 (SD ± 1.56). Age showed negative correlations with diabetes knowledge and self‐management ( r = −0.100, p < 0.05, r = −0.125, p < 0.01, respectively). Diabetes knowledge was positively correlated with employment and self‐management ( r = 0.096, r = 0.284, p < 0.01). Self‐management demonstrated positive correlations with education ( r = 0.154, p < 0.01), employment ( r = 0.192, p < 0.01), years of residence in the United States ( r = 0.111, p < 0.05, diabetes duration ( r = 0.176, p < 0.01), and HbA1C levels ( r = 0.201, p < 0.05). Conclusion These findings suggest that factors, such as educational attainment, employment status, and lived experiences (including longer duration with diabetes and living in the United States), may influence diabetes knowledge, self‐management, or both. Notably, the results emphasize that healthcare providers should recognize, when developing patient education plans, that a higher level of education does not necessarily correlate with knowledge of specific health conditions such as diabetes. Future research should explore culturally and contextually appropriate strategies, such as Portuguese‐language educational materials and self‐management programs, to enhance diabetes‐related knowledge and self‐care among Portuguese Americans.